Influences of Geographic Environment: On the Basis of Ratzel's System of Anthropo-GeographySemple, Ellen Churchill
History
Influences of Geographic Environment: On the Basis of Ratzel's System of Anthropo-Geography
Semple, Ellen Churchill
Human beings -- Effect of environment on; Human geography
Where an immigrant population from oversea lands occupies the coastal
hem of a country, rarely do they preserve the purity of their race.
Coming at first with marauding or trading intent, they bring no women
with them, but institute their trading stations or colonies by marriage
with the women of the country. The ethnic character of the resultant
population depends upon the proportion of the two constituent elements,
the nearness or remoteness of their previous kinship, and the degree of
innate race antagonism. The ancient Greek elements which crossed the
Aegean from different sections of the peninsula to colonize the Ionian
coast of Asia Minor mingled with the native Carian, Cretan, Lydian,
Pelasgian, and Phoenician populations which they found there.[494] On all
the barbarian shores where the Greeks established themselves, there
arose a mixed race--in Celtic Massilia, in Libyan Barca, and in Scythian
Crimea--but always a race Hellenized, born interpreters and mercantile
agents.[495]
A maritime people, engrossed chiefly with the idea of trade, moves in
small groups and intermittently; hence it modifies the original coastal
population less than does a genuine colonizing nation, especially as it
prefers the smallest possible territorial base for its operations. The
Arab element in the coast population of East Africa is strongly
represented, but not so strongly as one might expect after a thousand
years of intercourse, because it was scattered in detached seaboard
points, only a few of which were really stable. The native population of
Zanzibar and Pemba and the fringe of coast tribes on the mainland
opposite are clearly tinged with Arab blood. These Swahili, as they are
called, are a highly mixed race, as their negro element has been derived
not only from the local coast peoples, but also from the slaves who for
centuries have been halting here on their seaward journey from the
interior of Africa.[496] [See map page 105.]
[Sidenote: Multiplicity of race elements on coasts.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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